Immobilized Ficin

Immobilized Ficin

Ficin (or Ficain) is a cysteine protease enzyme (EC 3.4.22.3) isolated from fig latex is that has the endopeptidase activity to cleave immunoglobulin G molecules in the hinge reason. Ficin is typically used to cleave mouse IgG1 as this are difficult to cleave with papain and pepsin. In the presence of 1mM or 10mM cysteine, ficin generates F(ab′)2 and Fab fragments respectively. The Fab and F(ab′)2 fragments can be separated from whole IgG and Fc with either Immobilized Protein A or ion exchange chromatography.

Immobilized Ficin is a convenient reagent for producing Fab and F(ab′)2 fragments as it avoids the need to remove the ficin enzyme after digestion.